Barricade
by AlTHR33
Summary: Kyouya is convinced that Tamaki is too incompetent to run the club, and Tamaki allows him the chance to prove that he could do better. Several scenarios of what arguements ensue, a collaborative fic between Nayanari 'Ayu' Tsuki and I. TamaKyou ahead!
1. Prologue: The Challenge

Hello there all~ I took the liberty of writing this author's note before the chapter was finished. This is Nayunari 'Ayu' Tsuki here, the second authoress of this here story you're reading. The first authoress is none other than AlThr33, the person's account that you happen to be reading this fic on. I don't know if our lovely authoress will make a note or not.

Anyway, this Ouran fic here is the first collab fic I've done. This is an alternating POV fic (if you didn't read the description), a TamaKyou collab at that. I'm Tamaki and AlThr33 is Kyouya. I think our writing style would mix greatly, so instead of undertaking this fic alone like I had originally planned, I asked AlThr33 if she'd collab it with me, and she accepted. I'm honored she did, since I'm such a novice at anything but GPOV fics. Oh, if I keep talking, she'll have nothing to say, so I'll shut up. Enjoy!

~.~.~

Well, I dunno if I should really accept that. I mean, she basically wrote the story out for me, and I'm just writing it out how I think it would go. Plus this was her idea, so I shouldn't be called the "First Authoress." In fact, it may be generous to call me the second, too. Maybe I'm just her trusty sidekick or something...

Well, as I'm sure you've guessed, this is Al3 (and now you know how to read my name :D) I'd like to correct her that I didn't "accept." It was more of an "OMG, what? Yes, yes, yes, of course!" kinda thing, as she's a lot more experienced with fanfics than me. I was thrilled!

Okay, I'm not gonna write my "Author's Letters" like I do on my other stories, but as you will soon see, I write A LOT! You may find yourself gaping at chapter length in the near future (and she thinks I'd have nothing to say! Impossible!)

So, uh, basically...this is awesome, sorry to those of you who were expecting a new chapter of Bon Anniversaire. Hope this makes up for it!

**NEITHER OF US OWN OURAN HIGH SCHOOL HOST CLUB (because we're both fully capable of making our own stories, but it's just more fun this way!)**

_~.~PROLOGUE~.~_

~Tamaki~

Sad to say, Kyouya and I have our irreconcilable differences. Although you may not think it, we argue very much when we're in private. Today, however, we had one of our worst arguments to date.

The day started as one normally would, with the hosts and I entertaining the ladies. Everything seemed right as rain. Though I don't know how rain is right, but moving on. Anyway, I was just happily caught in my Kingly duties. However, Kyouya was not so chipper.

He yanked my arm. "Come with me, Tamaki."

~Kyouya~

I didn't try to be gentle as I dragged the idiot to some remote part of the school. Normally I would have worked to seem a little less...affected until we were alone, but this time I would draw the line.

My belligerence had nothing to do with the constant whining as he bombarded me with his stupid questions and ceaseless complaints. "Where are we going, Mommy?" "Mother, dear, you're hurting Daddy's arm!" "Is something wrong?" "The ladies are going to leave!" and so forth. Of course, his annoying crying didn't help my mood, but they weren't the cause.

Finally, I decided I had gone far enough, ripping my hand from his wrist and slipping my hand into my pocket to retrieve the real reason for my sudden fury. I shoved the imposing piece of paper in front of his eyes. He blinked, confused as per usual. "Wh-what's that?" he inquired.

I sighed irritably, pushing up my glasses and rubbing the bridge of my nose. "It's our bill, Tamaki," I spat.

I caught the lost look as it crossed his face. Why _would_ he understand, after all, because the word "bill" was _so_ complicated, and a _grand total of four letters_! "Look at the totals, moron!" I growled, losing every last fiber of patience I still contained.

I watched as he bent to scrutinize the paper, squinting, and then looked at me as if it was in Greek. "And?"

"Just look at them, idiot!" I shouted, but as he went to take a second glance, I threw the disgusting thing to my side.

"We came out negative!" He just looked at me, the weight of the situation going right over his head. I gritted my teeth. "That means we lost money," I explained, feeling the sarcasm that may as well have dripped off of the words as they flowed from my mouth.

"So?" he asked. He shook his head. "Who cares, last month was worth it. It was really fun, and we gained new regulars." I pushed my glasses up, wanting desparately to continue to yell at him for his stupidity. Knowing I would gain nothing by doing so, however, I stifled the venomous words that begged to escape me.

"You're so...This wouldn't have happened if I ran the Host Club," I muttered, not really considering the notion.

This set Tamaki back, skepticism tainting his features. "What?" he said in disbelief.

I looked at him, raising an eyebrow. His face suddenly darkened. "Are you suggesting that you could make a better Host King than me?" I was surprised to hear a challenge in his voice.

I smirked, thoroughly amused by the concept. "I know you're slow, but at least try to keep up. What else could that mean, moron?"

His eyes widened, his mouth opening to make a retort, but only making a choked sort of sound. I shook my head. "Though I would disdain to call myself 'King.' I'm not such an airheaded imbecile." I made sure to enunciate the last part perfectly, full of spite. Childish though it may be, I enjoyed seeing Tamaki get angry. It was, in it's own way, my method of showing him who was in control in our friendship.

"Fine," was the last thing I expected him to say. I turned my head to look at him, cocking my eyebrow yet again at the unexpected response.

"What?" I said, demanding clarification.

He gnawed on his lip, defiance clear in his eyes. "If you really think so, then do it. Run the club. Hopefully whatever boring and stiff rules you come with won't ruin it to a point of no return. Just try not to kill the dreams of our beloved customers too instantly and indefinately."

I stared, waiting for him to say something else. "Just kidding" or "Wait, no!" for example. All I recieved during this moment of trial, though, was a cold shoulder and tense retreat.

Blinking, I smiled,scoffing to myself. "You know, Tamaki," I called out to him as he trudged in front of me back to the club room. "That may just be the smartest thing you've ever suggested for the club."

~.~.~

Alright, guys, that's the prologue. Sorry that mine was so much longer than hers, but I had a lot to explain...and I don't write short chapters, so there.

Well, I'm sure we'd both be thrilled if you would take the time to review, and I'm pretty sure the next chapter will be her's, Tamaki. So I guess you won't really hear from me (unless I make a Sidekick's note X3) next chapter, but I probably shouldn't. Well, unless I decide that it's so awesome that I have to tell all of you how much I loved it, which could happen...

Until whenever, au revoir and sayonara (I have no idea if that's spelled right, but I didn't think saying "Ciao" like I normally do was quite appropriate. Japanese class has taught me little...) Review, review~!


	2. Adorable

Hello again, all. I know you thought you were rid of my silly author's notes when I began the one in the prologue. Well, if you did, you thought wrong. I have 3 chapters to myself, and so does AlThr33. As I stated before, I am Tamaki, and we agreed for Tamaki to be first in the lineup.

This is technically both a oneshot series and a chapter story, since they all connect, if it hadn't been said before. I think you'll like the twist and turns this fic will take you for. Don't worry, you (hopefully) won't get lost. Enjoy.

~BREAK~

Kyouya had so rudely said that so many things would be different if he ran the Host Club and not I. I promptly asked him to explain how.

"For one, it would be me serenading the customers through music, not you," he said. I scoffed. "Silly Kyouya," I started. "You don't even know how to play the piano."

"Watch me," he hissed, then stormed off.

~BREAK~

The next day went on as if the argument had never happened, and yet it had to have.

Kyouya was nowhere to be seen.

I didn't really let my worry set in when I first realized this big fact. Did I drive him away? Nonsense. If he can recover over arguments with his father, he can certainly get over one with me. It's not like he was serious.

"What's wrong, dear King?" One of the girls, Suzuka I believe she said, asked me with a concerned tone. I shook my head to dispel her worries, but they only intensified.

"Comment allez vous? How are you, my King?" Another girl, this one I think was Sophie, asked me in my native language. It's weird, I never thought any of our customers perused French.

"Tres triste, ma belle. My friend is gone," I replied sadly. I almost said Mommy when referring to Kyouya, but the girls know nothing of our club relationships. Mainly because Haruhi is Daughter and if that slips, we're in trouble.

"You mean Kyouya-senpai? Where is he?" Suzuka asked again. I didn't know myself. If I did, I'd–Wait. We're in an argument. I'm not supposed to care. At least not this much. I'm too nice.

Still, I want to know. Where was he? He could be home.

"He could be in the music room, you know," Sophie suggested. I shook my head. That'd be considered hiding. Kyouya doesn't avoid or hide. It's like one of his personal rules. Or something of that nature.

"On trespasser, mademoiselles. He'll turn up eventually if he really wants to be here," I assured them.

At least, that's what I had thought and hoped.

~BREAK~

"I wonder if Kyou-chan is sick. Maybe he came up with something and got sick. Maybe I should bring him cake!" Hunny suggested innocently.

"Mitsukuni, Kyouya doesn't like sweets," Mori said solemnly. Hunny pouted.

We were all sitting on the vanity in the orchard pondering where the Shadow King could be. I, of course, wasn't worried.

"You look worried, milord," the twins said together. Apparently, something on my face betrayed my previous thoughts. "We can see it in your eyes," they followed up immediately. I'm much easier to read than I initially thought.

"Maybe he's in the music room," Haruhi suggested. I felt a sense of deja vu. Sophie had suggested the same place. I just can't understand _why_ he'd be there.

Haruhi scratched her chin in what I assumed to be thought. "Well, the music room is such an obvious place to go that no one would look there. After all, the best way to hide is in plain sight, right?"

Then it dawned on me. That was true. It was also both crafty and unoriginal at the same time. So contradictory, that guy was.

"Gonna go look for him?" Hikaru asked slyly. I sighed. I may as well. I mean, they'd probably pin the responsibility on me anyway. I simply turned away, acting like the question was rhetorical.

~BREAK~

I walked down the hall towards the Host Club headquarters when I thought I heard music. As you may know, although it's the music room, we almost never incorporate music into our activities. One would say that nearly ruins the purpose of having the room in the first place.

As I walked closer, the music got louder. It must be from the room.

I clicked the door open with as much discretion as I possibly could. It seemed to be the piano I had stashed in the back section of the room. Someone was playing it. I listened intently to the notes being played until I jumped in recognition.

It was the Moonlight Sonata.

The Moonlight Sonata has a great significance to me. It was the first piece I played for ma mere jolie. It was actually the first piece I had ever played. For that reason, it was my favorite piece that I played whenever I needed a twinge of nostalgia in my day. I knew who it was simply because of the song.

Kyouya.

I slipped into the back room undetected. I feel that he might have sensed me, because as soon as I cracked the door, two notes meshed together. He must have pressed two keys at the same time by accident.

"Damn it. I always mess up that part. My music reading is getting rusty," he hissed in disdain. "I'll try again..."

The song was very appropriate. Kyouya seemed to glow in the moonlight despite his now sour expression. It was a truly breathtaking sight in my eyes.

I sneaked over there while he was absorbed in playing the music with one hand as he read the music he held in the other. I crawled once I got into the moonlight's reach so I could remain unseen.

He messed up that same note again. "Damn. Try again."

I grabbed his arms as gently as I could to alert him and stop him at the same time. I felt him jump when I rested my chin on his shoulder. "I think you mean to do this."

As I said that, I leaned over him and played as gracefully as I could. I was tripped up by that particular note too because of the way it seemed to blend with the note succeeding it. I figured it was a vision problem at first, but seeing as Kyouya wears glasses, it must have been just because I was a novice.

"I didn't need your help, Tamaki. What do you think of me? That I'm-" "Tres adorable, mon cheri. I messed up too. The fact that you would play my first meant you were thinking of me," I added, interrupting him.

I heard him swallow in what I assumed to be nervousness. It may have been the moonlight reflecting off of the crimson rose I'd left on top of the piano, but I was sure Mommy was blushing. "The only way I was thinking of you was thinking to prove you wrong. Which, if you hadn't noticed, I did. I can play the piano."

I wrapped my arms around my obviously flustered friend. "Indeed you can. Je suis tres desole, mon ami. Forgive me?"

Kyouya scoffed. "Just sit down and play with me."

I had another idea in mind, and I was probably going to be hurt for it. I sat next to him and smirked mischievously. "What if I don't want to?"

He gave me a look of suspicion. Rightfully so. I was being uncharacteristically vague. "Well, what did you want?"

Whether I wanted to admit or not, I was very worried about Kyouya not showing up for club activities, or even to class. I never thought the guy would skip anything as diligent as he was. It flooded onto my face and overall expression, and others were taking notice. I was indeed easy to read. However, that was a good quality, to an extent. It was borderline adorable when Kyouya read me. Maybe because of how he reacted to it.

Either way, I appreciated his unintentional gesture, and it made my heart flutter. I lovingly leaned over to kiss his forehead. I smiled warmly, and that cute twinge of pink showed up again. "Je t'aime, mama, ma cherie."

He sighed, obviously trying to hide his developing blush. "You and the stupid French. I really could go without. But..." He rose and brushed his lips on mine for the faintest moment. "Je t'aime aussi, mon pere, mon ami. That sound about right?"

I just chuckled. It was close enough, and I knew what he meant.  
~End Chapter~

Translation Notes:

Comment allez vous?- How are you doing? (Or just 'how are you?'. Either would be effective in this case)  
Tres triste, ma belle- Very sad, my beauty. (You may have understood from context. Ma belle calls a woman beautiful, but it's more grammatically correct in English to say my beauty than just beautiful)  
On trepasser, mademoiselles- It'll pass, girls. (That's how I intended it. It moreso translates to 'It'll pass over, girls' since trespasser means to pass over and is used more for directions than relating to a person)  
Ma mere jolie- My pretty mother (His actual mother, obviously. If he were talking about Kyouya, he could just say mama)  
Tres adorable, mon cheri- Very adorable, my dear (It's because of this line onto the end that this chapter is titled 'Adorable')  
Je suis tres desole, mon ami- I am very sorry, my friend (I once forgot what sorry was in French, but it's perfect to use in a fight between friends being resolved)  
Je t'aime, mama, ma cherie- I love you, Mommy, my dear (That's the way it's intended to translate. I may be a little off)  
Je t'aime aussi, mon pere, mon ami- I love you too, Daddy, my friend (Once again, intended translation. Kyouya picked up a little from Tamaki over the years, but all he really knew was 'Je t'aime' without questioning himself)

~Althr33~ ah, isn't her Tamaki kawaii? Kawaii, desu~ suki dayo, Tamaki~! My Kyouya is thoroughly in love with him X3 ~hearts~ alright, well i shall do my best to follow up! See you all in chapter three! (ps, who is Tamaki calling adorable? i don't care which is mommy and which is daddy, Kyouya's totally in charge in their relationship. i think you need a little exhibit...exhibit A, coming soon!)


	3. Glasses and Haruhi

Alright, let's do this thing. Honestly, this chapter may be my least favorite of any chapter of any fanfic of any couple I've ever written, and the plot wasn't even mine. I'm so sorry Nayunari 'Ayu' Tsuki! (is it just me, or did that sound uber formal and awkward?) I really didn't mean to screw with your awesome idea, though I did change it a little bit... (no fancy tuna for Haruhi! I just couldn't turn her into a glutton...)

Honestly, I think I fail epicly at being a co-author/trusty sidekick, because look at the bleeping length of this crap chapter! It's so bleeping long! It's gotta be like...eighty times the length of her's!

Oh, and I disliked this so much that I only vaguely proofread so there may be a lot of mistakes...

Well, I could rant for a good hour's worth of writing why I despise this chapter and myself for writing it, but honestly I'm just gonna let you read so we can move on and she can write her amazing chapter. I'm sorry! If I was more devoted I'd rewrite it, but alas...

Okay, I'm done...please, just try to enjoy it a little bit... (the end is what really fails, or maybe the second half...I personally like the beginning)

**I DO NOT OWN OURAN HIGH SCHOOL HOST CLUB (because if I did, it's quite possible the awfulness ahead would lose all of my fans... **T-T''' **)**

I followed closely behind Tamaki as he stalked, with his nose in the air, back towards the clubroom. He didn't say a word the entire way, not so much to my displeasure. In fact, I was quite entertained by the idiot's stubborn gait, with the heavy footfalls to enunciate how offended or angry he was. Whatever he was aiming to show me, each attempt at flaunting his hurt feelings only proved the opposite effect of what he wanted it to. It was quite refreshing, actually.

I won't deny that I was a little offended myself. Who was he to claim that he was any more worthy of a host than me? I could woo the customers just as easily as he could, and I wouldn't embarrass myself nearly as thoroughly. I just chose not to, because I didn't need to. Now, however, it was going to be required. He had challenged me, and I would never think to allow a stupid challenge like his to go unanswered. I couldn't lose to that idiot, I had to show him who really held the power in our relationship.

Upon this thought, I grew slightly...unnerved. Well, perhaps that wasn't the _best _possible wording I could choose. We weren't a married couple, after all...

Ah, that reminded me of the first thing I had to do with my newly gained power. "Hey," I called out to him just as he was about to push through the doors to Music Room 3. He turned, not concealing very well the excitement that danced in his eyes. What did he think, that he'd won? Surely he wasn't _that _stupid. I scoffed. "I'm abolishing the 'Mother' 'Father' 'Daughter' ranking, or whatever you want to call it." I smirked, feeling almost sadistic at the utter...satisfaction I got from the shock and, perchance, hurt that crossed his face in that instant.

His eyes were wide as he stared at me, dropping his stubborn facade entirely. He was terrible at acting. I would know, being his best friend and damn good at it myself. "Wh-what? Why?" he whined, looking terribly lost by the rule.

"You won't be calling me 'Mother' anymore, and if you choose to call yourself 'Daddy' or Haruhi 'Daughter' you would best do that out of my presence, and never during club activities." It wasn't really our nicknames that irritated me, but I couldn't stand the way he fawned over Haruhi. She most definitely was _not _his daughter, and it annoyed me beyond belief when he put himself in that situation. It was near painful to think that I could really consider such a dense person my best friend. He tried to complain further, so I put up my hand to stop him. "Ah ah. You're not going back on your word already, Tamaki. You've already consented to my rule of the club."

He slumped in weakening resolve. "B-but...I said be our president, not a complete tyrant!" I noted the tears in his eyes. There was something about those tears...they hit me a little harder than they should have, considering that they were so common with him.

I looked away, not giving him the chance to force me out of my adamant declaration. I would _not_ waver for a few spilled tears. "Tamaki, really," I sighed. "It isn't too much to ask. The names are disillusioned, and you should get over them even if I didn't ban them."

He huffed in defeat. "Fine. But only because...I already consented to this...and when _I'm_ king again you will have to consent to whatever_ I_ say!" A look of determination crossed his expression, shocking me a little.

I raised my eyebrows at him. "That isn't going to-"

He barged in through the doors, not allowing me to finish. "Sorry, ladies! We were having a conversation about club expenses and activities."

I followed in reluctantly, sighing at the sight of the, yet again, hyper blond idiot before me.

One of the girls perked up in interest as Tamaki glided over to them, stupid smile plastered on his mouth. "Oh? And what do we have to expect in the future, Master Tamaki?" she inquired hopefully.

He grinned. "Well, as it turns out, I made a mistake last month in my financial management, so our dear Kyouya is going to take over the club for a week to show me how it should be done! I think it's a marvelous idea, he'll definitely make a few-" He looked over to me, smirking rather...conceitedly. "-changes. It should be an interesting experience for all of us!"

The girls all looked quite shocked. Of course they were, this could potentially be a very different host club than they were used to. However, I planned to do my best not to change the club's usual activities too much, just the way they happened.

I walked over to the table with my laptop, planning out my line of attack.

This week _would_ be a success.

~.~.~

It was only directly after club ended when my plan came crashing to an inevitable halt. Dammit, why couldn't that idiot take a hint?

"Oh Haruhi, you're so _cute!_ You were so sweet with the customers today! You make me so proud, you've bloomed into both a dashing young host _and_ a beautiful young woman! So cute, so _cu_-"

"Sempai!" "Tamaki!" Haruhi muttered, annoyed, as I growled angrily, beckoning him over to my table with a sharp nod. Ruffling Haruhi's hair, both flustering and slightly irritating her, he happily skipped over to my side.

"Yes, mon ami?" he sang.

I sighed, trying not to glare too fiercely at him. I could explain slight anger, but not the true utter hatred I held for him in this single moment.

"Dammit, Tamaki. I said no fawning over Haruhi. It's unbecoming, and the customers might start to ask questions."

Tamaki looked confused. "You said no family names. I never called her 'daughter'." I unintentionally twitched at the word, a grimace making it's way onto my face. I looked away from the stupid, vibrant violet eyes, back to my computer with disgust.

"Well, I'm sorry," I spat, maybe allowing just a little too much venom to seep out through my voice. "I'll clarify, no treating her as a daughter either. No fawning." I regained my composure and went back to typing without a second thought.

He, however, couldn't manage to leave it at that. "What?" he demanded angrily. I looked back up to him in vague interest. "What do you have to gain from doing that?"

I looked away again. "Idiot, you're not conducting yourself in a very appropriate manner."

"I 'conduct' myself just fine!" he argued, pouting...that pout...almost like the tears...I shuddered, swallowing hard. "The girls would never think anything of it!"

I didn't look up at him now, I felt no desire to. "Please, be realistic. Your entire existence revolves around her." I scoffed at his stupid, brilliant blush. His cheeks were scarlet, and puffed from stubbornness. "In fact, what would you do if she didn't come to school one day? They would surely suspect something from the way you reacted."

He grumbled, shaking his head. "It would not! I would react as a concerned friend should!"

I paused the tapping on my keyboard, suddenly struck by an idea. I turned to him, adjusting my glasses maliciously. "Care to wager that?"

He suddenly joined eyes with me again, forgetting about his anger. "What do you mean?" he asked hesitantly.

"I'll arrange for Haruhi not to come tomorrow, and we shall see which of us is right."

Tamaki looked at me suspiciously. "There's no way to do that...You couldn't possibly-"

"I'll take that as a yes," I cut him off, turning and getting rid of the club account so I could focus on getting rid of Haruhi. I smiled, did he really deny my manipulative skills? How stupid was he?

"Fine, if you can _magically _keep Haruhi away for the day, then I'll show you how little the ladies would have to note. I'm not as stupid as you think I am, Kyouya." His voice was defensive.

My grin grew on my face, now a very dark sort of grin, I was sure.

_ No. Apparently you're so much _worse _than I gave you credit for._

~.~.~

It shouldn't have surprised me the next day to see Tamaki stomp up to me with tears and murderous intent in his eyes, but somehow I felt slightly scathed by the dark glare in the normally bright violet eyes. "What the _hell _did you do with my little Haruhi?" he hissed in anger when he got to my desk.

Shaking my head to dispel my slight disturbance at the words, I didn't make eye contact with Tamaki as he stood above me with a look to kill painted clearly on his face. "Oh? Giving up already?" I asked with meager interest.

I heard a raspy breath be pulled through his teeth as he tried not to show his anger to the rest of the class, though his shoulders shook furiously. "Where is she, you bastard?"

I flinched at the frightening and slightly painful way that word coursed through my head as it fell off of his tongue so easily. "I...can't tell you that..." I said, a little more quietly than what I had hoped. "Rest assured, however, she's not your main worry."

Watching him cool down, I made eye contact with him finally, seeing his tears again. They fell, and for a moment I saw a strange look, almost like apology, cross his expression. It was gone in an instant, though, replaced by a look of determination. "You know," he said. "I may have come up with most of the ideas, but I went along with your compromises every time!"

I raised my eyebrows at him. "Yes, you can say that at least. So?"

He smirked, and before I could flinch away he had managed to snatch my glasses from where they lay on my nose. As my vision blurred instantly my thoughts swam, putting me in a state of immense confusion. "Wh-what are you..."

"If I have to go without Haruhi I'm taking these from you! Seems fair to me." I could hear the smile in his voice, but my sight was gone. I couldn't see more than a foot away without my glasses. Tamaki was nothing more than an incomprehensible mist of color, maybe three or four too many feet away for me to be able to distinguish his facial features.

I reached out where I assumed he was standing, clawing at the air. "Are you an imbecile? I need those to _see, _moron!"

"Ah, giving up?" he mocked. What was he thinking? Did being away from Haruhi cause him to lose his mind?

I glared in the general direction of his voice, but looked away to keep from looking like an idiot. "Whatever, then. Keep them, idiot. I'm only doing it because I have to remind you how fully capable I am, though, and that there's nothing you can do to change that." It was very unlike me to succumb to his stupidity, but...well, I must have had some reason, even if I couldn't think of it. I handed him my glasses case. "Just don't let them get scratched, or you'll reimburse me tenfold."

I felt the case plucked from my hand. I heard him rustle his hair and fidget. "Y-you really don't care?" he mumbled, his voice whiny.

I shrugged. "Not in the least." I could definitely maneuver through my day blind.

I heard him sigh, working hard to keep the corners of my mouth from turning up.

He really couldn't get that I wouldn't fall to him, could he?

~.~.~

Class was quite easily passed; I would just copy notes the next day, and I could manage to gather the information given through the lectures. During lunch I had a girl retrieve my food for me. After, however, was not quite so easy.

I stood up, trying to feel my way to the door. I heard Tamaki laugh from behind be, whirling around but seeing nothing. "Need help, mon ami?" he asked smugly.

I tried to stop my darkening expression, sighing and smiling irritably. "Only if you're offering, _mon copain,_" I spat.

"Um..." he hummed. His vocal tone confused me, it sounded almost...nervous. I watched as he (or at least the blur of colors that was him, being the only blond in our class) approach me slowly, taking my arm and looping it through his own. I gasped slightly, shocked by the odd gesture. "L-let's go then," he said, his voice subdued.

It felt as though I was suffocating, and I felt horribly useless being led around like a stupid dog. What was he doing? If he was worried then why didn't he just give me my glasses back?

I searched the void of mixing colors and odd textures as they swirled around me, but couldn't even begin to compose anything from the hazy confusion. Sighing, I looked over to Tamaki, close enough to him that I could manage to get a decent picture of his face. I watched him suspiciously, but he just stared straight ahead with a look of immense discomfort clear in his jaw-set.

"H-hey," he said, never looking down.

I raised an eyebrow at him. "What?"

"I've...it's weird. You know, this arrangement. Why did you let me take your glasses?"

I thought, and rolled my eyes. "I have no reason."

He pondered this, then turned to face me. "Well, why did you send Haruhi away?"

I turned away from him, feeling my cheeks warm. _What the hell?_ "I don't know. I thought it would be a prosperous endeavor. You're...too close to her."

"No closer to her than I am to you," he argued. I stopped, causing him to jerk back when he tried to keep going. "What are you-?"

"It's different." He looked at me, waiting for an explanation.

"How so?" he pursued, pulling me until I regained the pace at which we were walking again.

I didn't have an answer. What could I say? "You're doting over her. You and I are...well, no one would ask questions about it."

He gave me a confused look. "What do you-?"

I didn't answer him, though. I pushed through the tall oak doors of Music Room 3, leaving Tamaki standing in the hall. I had no answers to his questions, and I was going to run out of things to say on the spot.

As I walked away from him the feeling of instability grew in me. I couldn't see, I couldn't even _think! _There were far too many people around me, the room was hot, and I'd lost my guide. But I had no choice, I'd had to get away from him. There was something wrong in the way he'd been acting, and something completely horrible in the way I was reacting.

"Kyouya!" I heard from behind me, causing me to tense up and whip around, knowing by now that I'd gain nothing from doing so. Where was he? What did he want now?

Once again, I spotted the colors that I knew could only belong to him as they approached me hastily. "Don't be so damn headstrong, wait for me to guide you to your spot, stupid!"

It took me a moment, as I slowed my breathing wondering when exactly it had picked up speed in the first place, to regain composure and take offense to his words. "Who do you think you're calling stupid?" I said, taking pride in the nonchalant tone my voice had taken.

I heard him take a breath to answer, but his words had stopped before they started. I heard a little sigh escape him. "Come on," he said softly, taking me by the shoulders. I stumbled a little as he pushed me to the sofa of the room at which he usually sat. "This is...your spot now, I guess..." he explained.

I sat down on the couch, a little dizzy from walking blind under someone else's control. I looked up at him, straining my eyes to see his face. "Idiot, I don't get customers. I don't need this area like you do." I tried to stand, but was stopped by his hand on my shoulder.

"Just sit. You do have customers to entertain today, and I'll go sit in Haruhi's normal spot." Haruhi, that reminded me. The whole reason I was going through this was so he would admit his dependence on the girl, but he hadn't even mentioned her...

There was no way, but was it possible that I had misread that situation?

No, impossible. He was obviously just acting. He would give in soon. He _had _to. He must have been terribly distraught all day, and it would take its toll.

And yet...

~.~.~

He was damned right I had customers today, way too many. What's more, few of them were there for the reasons that usually brought me my seldom guests. Most of them just wanted to know about the week ahead, or why we were doing it. Some were girls who had requested Haruhi, and being told by Tamaki that I knew where 'he' was had come to investigate. I told them every detail, of course, under the promise that they wouldn't tell Tamaki. They questioned it, but promised nonetheless.

A very tedious club day, to be sure, and there was nothing to gain from it. According to his guests, Tamaki had been acting completely normal. There were a few who said he was a little dazed, but each time they said he had been wondering about me. None of them said a thing about Haruhi.

Maybe it wasn't a total loss, though. I now knew that Tamaki could hide his feelings about Haruhi if she was ever absent from club.

However, I was a little confused over why he had come over and asked if I was alright so frequently. It was as if he had completely forgotten about Haruhi and had no one to dote over so it was all forced on me. I knew better than to believe that, though.

~.~.~

After club everyone left while I stayed, laying on the couch with my laptop supported by my knees. It was easier to see that way, and no one was there to witness the undignified position. I had taken off my jacket and tie, and had kicked off my shoes. I was quite comfortable in the clubroom, and the dimly sunlit silence was perfect for working, so I always had Tachibana come two to three hours after club ended.

I squinted at a slight stream of light that fell over my hands as the door clicked. I assumed that it was a janitor or someone checking to see if the room was locked, continuing to work without giving it a second thought.

Deep in thought, I didn't hear the person creep over to sofa on which I lay. "What are you doing?" I jumped at the soft murmur of words above my head.

I smiled, realizing why he came back. _He wants to know why she wasn't here, and now I guess I have no choice in telling him._

"A-are you okay?" he suddenly asked, worried.

I laughed slightly at him. "Of course, why wouldn't I be?" I sat up, now seeing him where he leaned against the back of the couch. The pale blond of his hair caught the orange tinted light of sunset, contrasting greatly with the now dark violet of his eyes. It was an interesting picture, though not without its own beauty. It was an odd thing to admit that thought, but it wasn't the first time I had ever regarded him in such a way.

"You just kinda look...unhappy..." he observed. He brushed his bangs to the side, though they fell back where they lay instantly. "Maybe it's just me."

He stared at me for a short moment, then shook his head and reached down, folding my laptop up and pulling it away from me. I watched him confusedly, unsure of his actions. "What do you think you're doing?" I demanded.

He set the computer aside, then stood and walked around the couch to sit on the arm near my feet. Suddenly feeling self conscious and common, I scrambled to sit the way I normally would; straight and proper. He put his hand on my knee. "Don't move, I don't care."

I blinked at him in confusion, but relaxed again, feeling compelled to listen to him. He was acting so...solemn, very unlike himself. It shocked me, the last time I'd seen this side of him was in the first year he spent away from his mother. Being restricted from Anne Sophie would occasionally throw him into a state of lethargy and depression, and it had always been so hard to get him to snap out of it.

Suddenly a thought seized me: was this what happened when he spent too much time away from Haruhi? It seemed rather extreme, it had only been one day, but it wasn't impossible, and not too entirely unlikely. So it really was affecting him, and not just a_ little _sadness either. This was more than I had expected, and I wasn't sure I could stand this much of a reaction. Dammit, I just wanted him to realize his feelings and accept them, and hopefully control them. I didn't realize it would hit him this hard! _Dammit, what have I-_

"Kyouya," he said quietly, interrupting my panicking thoughts. No emotion there, only deep thought. _I'm sorry, _I thought. It wasn't a very common thing for me to feel guilt, but this was my _best friend._ I shouldn't have done something that would hurt him to this degree. I should have known.

"What?" I asked, not trusting my voice to stay strong for long enough to say more.

"I-" he began, but stopped, sighing heavily. I grew worried, and opened my mouth to apologize.

"Tamaki, I didn't-"

"Are you alright?" he asked again, not seeming aware that I had said anything.

I watched him again before answering. "Of course."

"And your head?" he pushed.

My head? "Fine." Well, it did hurt, but he didn't need to know that.

He looked at me, and seemed to deliberate over something, though I couldn't see him from this distance. "I don't believe you," he declared.

"What? Why no-" and with that he clapped, sending a sharp ringing through my skull. I groaned, instinctively pinching the bridge of my nose to ease the throbbing.

He sighed, and stood up, stepping over to sit next to me on the floor. "I knew it. That was stupid..." he mumbled.

I smiled ruefully. "Actually, it was pretty smart." I stifled the urge to say _even for you_. He didn't need to hear that right now, but it was so natural for me to insult him. "But I guess you know plenty about sound and headaches." Was that cruel? I was talking about his music, but...

"I was talking about taking your glasses," he corrected, reaching up and touching my hair absentmindedly. "I knew the change would give you a headache, but..."

I looked at him, trying to sit up but being held back by his hand on my head. I looked away from him, up to the ceiling. "I deserved it I'm sure. If I had known that sending Haruhi-"

"Why'd you do it?" he inquired, again not giving me the chance to apologize. This time it was I who sighed.

"I don't really know. I guess it was just so you would realize how much you need her here, or something of that genre." This probably was the most honest explanation, though it hurt me immensely to admit it.

_ Dammit, _I growled inwardly as my cheeks burned. I shouldn't have been embarrassed, so why...?

I felt his hand trace the warming area lightly, and heard him chuckle. A very subtle chuckle, but it lightened the weight on my chest slightly for its sincerity. I smiled, cringing away somewhat from the tickling sensation on my cheek. I waved the hand away and turned to face him.

He was close enough now that I could make out his every feature. His eyes glowed with the final light of day, the purple orbs seeming to swim in bliss.

_ What the hell am I thinking? _I sat up rapidly catching my breath which became a shallow panting as I tried to force away the unsightly color of my face. As I gathered myself up from my scrambled state I swayed a little. My head still hurt, throbbing heavily in my temples, and the pain was now accompanied by a lightness that I refused to understand.

"Lay down, Kyouya," Tamaki ordered, concerned. When I remained sitting up he stood and pushed me down gently, softly talking as he did so. "You see now that you were wrong, right? I don't need Haruhi here, and I never have." He sat on the edge of the sofa cushion, looking at his hand which remained on my chest where it had pushed.

"Don't lie," I said, disregarding the distracting pressure above my heart. "You're a better actor than I thought, but now I can see how upset you are." He laughed at this, confusing me.

"I don't like being told who I can and can't love. You know that." I was about to ask what he meant, but received my answer without doing so. He leaned over, putting the hand that wasn't on my chest on my arm to pin me down slightly. My eyes widened as he came into abrupt focus and I felt his lips caress my temple. "I'm sorry I gave you a headache, mon cher, but I needed a distraction from Haruhi, and only your well-being would suffice," he whispered as he lingered over the now tingling spot on my face.

I couldn't talk, or push him away. I was too shocked, frozen where I lay while my mind reeled.

He stood up, taking from his bag my glasses case, leaving it next to me where I blinked in disarray. He walked away, opening the tall door to the hall. "Au revoir, mon amour." With that, he stepped out, allowing the door to fall into place, clicking as he retreated.

I shot up, finally released from my paralytic state, snatching the case and shoving the glasses onto my face. My mind swirled as the resolution of the world cleared up and I could once again see the entire room. It was dark, and seemed somewhat ominous.

Mind fuzzy, I surveyed my surroundings. Nothing looked off or different, but it sure felt that way. I whirled to stare at the now closed door, picturing the person who had just passed through it. I touched the spot on my temple, still feeling the warmth that had long ago left. "Wh-What the..."

I ran my hands through my hair, pulling my bangs away from my face as my thoughts raced. The warmth in my cheeks had accumulated to a suffocating heat, and now I couldn't deny what they were based on.

"What the _hell?"_

~.~.~

As I sat in my seat before the next day of class, I waited. It was earlier, a lot earlier in fact, than I normally would have been there, but I had a reason. There was sure to be a conversation I didn't really want to have with Tamaki the second we were alone today, but somehow I was anxious to see him. I wasn't entirely sure what he had said yesterday that was true, but I had to clarify. _But Haruhi will be here today..._

As if on cue, the girl walked into our classroom, smiling. The second she saw me her eyes widened. "Oh, Kyouya-sempai," she said, seeming surprised. "I, um, wanted to talk to you, but I didn't realize that you'd be here already."

I smiled at her, trying to push to the back of my mind how little I wanted her there. "Oh, Haruhi. Yes, well, it is uncharacteristic, I'll admit. Did you have a good day yesterday?"

Her face brightened, and for an instant I saw why Tamaki loved her so much. She really was a beautiful young woman. "Oh, yeah, I was coming to thank you! I learned so much, and they invited me to attend the next hearing!" Seeing how thrilled she was, my smile softened. It wasn't her fault if he loved her, after all...

"Haruhi?" he called from the doorway, causing her to turn and my stomach to flip and clench. I bit the inside of my lip, trying to stay composed. He walked over to us, eyes glued to her. "What are you doing in our class?" he inquired.

She watched him walk over, the happiness in her eyes never fading. "Oh, Tamaki-sempai," she exclaimed, her smile growing the tiniest of increments. "I was talking to Kyouya-sempai. He set up for me to spend a day with a lawyer connected to his family, and I had to thank him. Well, I have to go get the notes I missed yesterday. See you two at club!"

His eyes never left her as she trotted out of sight. He chuckled when she was gone. "Well that was nice of you," he commented, smiling at me, now, for the first time since he arrived.

I looked away and shrugged. "A medical company has to have a contract with a trustworthy law firm. It was easy to set up, and I knew it would prove to be a worthy experience for Haruhi. Enough so, at least, that she would be willing to miss a day of school." His smile never left his face as he listened to this explanation. "She might have to miss a little more, though. They invited her back," I told him, watching his face. His smile only widened.

"You don't say. That's wonderful!"

I stared at him suspiciously, unsure of his happiness in it. "You're okay with that? It doesn't bother you at all?" I pressed, looking for a crack in his excited facade.

"Mm-mm," he hummed, stepping closer. "Does it bother you? You were looking at her quite fondly when I walked in," he stated, his voice accusatory.

I looked away from him, not wanting to show my rueful expression. He couldn't honestly think I would try to steal her from him, could he? Did he not realize how she looked at him? "It depends. Are you perhaps jealous?"

He looped his arms over my head pulling me into a hug that concealed from the rest of the people in the class, few though they were at this time of morning, his face as he kissed the tender hollow beneath my jaw. "Indubitably," he purred, sending a shudder down my spine. "Je t'aime, mon ami," he cooed loud enough for everyone in the room to hear. Then, quietly next to where he had kissed. "Je t'aime beaucoup, mon amour."

I felt my frame begin to tremble and my cheeks warm inevitably. _I can't take this, it's too much! _I thought, pushing him away with one shaky hand. "P-people are watching, Tamaki," I complained, though no one even seemed to notice the weight of the embrace.

He sighed. "Does that mean that I can do it when people aren't watching?" he whispered while I grabbed the notes that I'd missed from the girl who'd graciously taken them for me. I thanked her, then turned and pushed Tamaki back to our seats near the back of the room.

I shook my head, sitting down at my desk and setting to work. "There are cameras in this school, idiot. What if someone in security saw it and told your father?"

He pondered, then smiled. "Not in the bathrooms, and I can obtain keys to lock the doors!"

That suggestion took my slightly reddened cheeks right to an embarrassing shade of scarlet that must have been glowing. "D-d-don't be an idiot!" I yelled, trying hard to keep my voice down. I hunched over the papers below me, attempting to hide from the eyes around us.

He smiled, obviously content with the violent color of my face. "There are no cameras in the clubroom. I had them take them down, and have frequently checked to make sure they weren't replaced. We can't have the security, or my father, watching what we're doing in there. Customer confidentiality, you know."

I thought about the time between the end of club and the time that Tachibana came and picked me up. _Two to three hours, and I could always make him come later if necessary..._

As the thought ran through my head I shook it away furiously. What was I thinking about? I couldn't allow this to escalate. This was _Tamaki Suoh _we were talking about. Neither of us were really free to do these things based on our circumstances. My father would disown me for thinking such thoughts about a woman he didn't approve of, let alone...

And then there was Yuzuru Suoh. He may not care what Tamaki did, but I knew that his mother, the power that decided Tamaki's fate, would be repulsed by the thought. So there was no way that we were really having this conversation. No way that he was suggesting these things to me, and no way in _hell _that I was actually considering them.

From the corner of my eye, however, I saw a look of hurt cross his face. He kneeled down beside my desk. "So you refuse to kiss me?" he said sadly. I looked over to him hesitantly, and was hit with what felt like a ton of bricks. There were tears there again.

I scratched my head awkwardly. "Tamaki, I just don't want..." I couldn't finish as he started to sob. Feeling my heart weighing down heavily in my chest I looked around the room. No one was watching, and there were still only about ten others there, so I leaned down, and returned one of the kisses to his hair, pulling away as quickly as possibly. He jumped at the contact, reaching up and touching the spot tenderly. He looked up at me, eyes wide with tears hanging in the balance, ready to fall. I stroked them away tentatively with my sleeve. "D-don't c-cry, o-kay?" I stuttered out, suddenly flustered again.

He looked utterly confused. "K-Kyouya?"

"J-Je t'aime, aus-si, so d-don't-don't cry. Please..." It felt weird to beg him, but for now if it would stop the stupid tears I'd do it willfully. "Just...be happy, idiot. W-we'll figure something out."

He wrapped his arms around my waist, not caring about those around us. "Kyouya, mon ami...mon meilleur ami..."

I pet his hair, reveling in the silken gold that covered my leg now. "You're that and so much more to me, moron, so stop crying. We'll figure it out..."

We had to now. I couldn't go on next to him, aware of what both of us wanted, and brush it off as we were both married off to girls we didn't love. And I most certainly wouldn't be able to be near him if he did happen to fall for someone else.

Who needs the support of their parents anyway?

~Fin~

Is that ending crappy? This is pretty much how I picture all TamaKyou fics ending, so it just kinda happened...well, there's not much French to translate in here. You all know what "Mon ami" and "Je t'aime" mean, and "Mon copain" is just another way to say "My friend." though according to my ex-French teacher it's also how you refer to your boyfriend (ma copine for girlfriend...). Ami is more of a congenial friendship. Read that how you will...it can just be friendship, though. Keep that in mind...oh, and then "Au revoir" is goodbye in case you couldn't gather that..."meilleur" is my idea of spelling the word for "best" though it might be wrong...I don't use bleeping translators, alright? I'm too awesome for that (Oh, how I wish this was a Hetalia fic. Then you would ALL GET THAT!) Nah, I'm not that concieted.

I don't think I used that much...was there any more?

Well, my friends, I guess that's all I have to say. I'm sorry if this chapter just didn't compare with chapter two, but don't tell me about it, dammit! We're different writers, so naturally one of us would be better in certain areas! Just leave it at that! But if you have complaints, I'd love to hear those! Complaints and comparisons are 100% different things, so review if you have something to say about MY writing style.

Actually...review either way, because it makes you awesome, ja? (I'm an Italy cosplayer, but I adore Prussia, so you will occasionally find me talking about them both...it just happens from time to time [every time!])

Alrighty then, author's letter over! See you in chapter...five! (please don't skip it if you utterly hated this, I'm gonna try to do better!) And now, I bow out for my wonderful authoress (I'm just as unknowing about the next chapter as you, people)

Ciao for now~!


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